The latest Halifax Housing Market Confidence Tracker conducted by Ipsos MORI finds that a majority of the British public think that the next 12 months will be a good time to sell property. This is the first time positive sentiment has exceeded negative sentiment in eleven Ipsos MORI surveys for Halifax since April 2011. Full poll: http://www.ipsos-mori.com/researchpublications/researcharchive/3321/Halifax-Housing-Market-Confidence-Tracker.aspx

1. Paste cobrand logo
here
Q4 2013
Ipsos MORI summary of findings & trends
2/1/2014
© Ipsos MORI

2. House Price Outlook trend
Q. Do you think the average property price in the UK will be higher or lower in 12 months time or
will it be the same? [respondents given average UK house price sourced from Halifax HPI]
HPO – balance of % higher minus % lower (+)
80
+64
+66
Sep-13
Dec-13
60
+40
+33
40
+19
20
+9
+15
+15
Jun-12
Oct-12
+20
+7
-2
0
-20
Apr-11
Oct-11
Jan-12
Mar-12
Base: 1,000-2,000 British adults 16+
© Ipsos MORI
Dec-12
Mar-13
Jun-13
Source: Halifax/Ipsos MORI
Housing Market Confidence Tracker

3. HPO and EOI trends
Q. Do you think the average property price in the UK will be higher or lower in 12 months time or
will it be the same? (HPO)
Q. Do you think the general economic condition of the country will improve, stay the same, or
get worse over the next 12 months? (EOI)
80
HPO – balance of % higher minus % lower
EOI – balance of % improve minus % get worse
+64
+66
60
+33
40
+19
20
+9
+15
+15
+40
+20
HPO
EOI
+23
+7
+15
-2
0
0
-20
-40
-9
-14
-28
-6
-19
-32
-32
Source: EOI – Ipsos MORI
(measures in advance of HMCT fieldwork)
-48
-60
Apr-11
© Ipsos MORI
Oct-11
Jan-12
Mar-12
Jun-12
Oct-12
Dec-12 Mar-13
Jun-13 Sep-13 Dec-13

4. HPO and selling sentiment
Q. Do you think the average property price in the UK will be higher or lower in 12 months time or
will it be the same? (HPO)
Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think it would be a good time or a bad time for
people in general to sell a property?
80
60
HPO – balance
of % higher
minus % lower
+64
+66
50
60
Selling
sentiment
(% agree good
time to sell)
51%
+40
40
41%
+33
+19
+15
20
+9
+7
11%
0
13%
-2
+15
40
HPO
30
+20
30%
20
24%
18%
15%
10%
21%
Selling
sentiment
(%)
10
13%
-20
0
Apr-11 Oct-11 Jan-12 Mar-12 Jun-12 Oct-12 Dec-12 Mar-13 Jun-13 Sep-13 Dec-13
Source: Halifax/Ipsos MORI
Housing Market Confidence Tracker
© Ipsos MORI

5. ‘Higher’ trends
Q. Do you think the average property price in the UK will be higher or lower in 12 months time or will it be the
same? (HPO)
40
34%
% the same
27%
20
% < 5% higher
19%
% 5 - 10% higher
8%
% 10 - 15% higher
% > 15% higher
3%
0
Apr-11
Oct-11 Jan-12 Mar-12 Jun-12 Oct-12 Dec-12 Mar-13 Jun-13 Sep-13 Dec-13
Source: Halifax/Ipsos MORI
Housing Market Confidence Tracker
© Ipsos MORI

6. ‘Lower’ trends
Q. Do you think the average property price in the UK will be higher or lower in 12 months time or will it be the
same? (HPO)
40
% the same
20
% < 5% lower
19%
% 5 - 10% lower
% 10 - 15% lower
% > 15% lower
0
Apr-11
3%
2%
1% 0%
Oct-11 Jan-12 Mar-12 Jun-12 Oct-12 Dec-12 Mar-13 Jun-13 Sep-13 Dec-13
Source: Halifax/Ipsos MORI
Housing Market Confidence Tracker
© Ipsos MORI

7. Buying and selling sentiment
Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think it would be a good time or a bad time for
people in general to buy/sell a property?
Net (±)
Net good time buy
Net good time sell
80
60
40
20
+18
+17
+15
+24
+23
+27
+25
+20
+35
+27
+12
0
-6
-20
-40
-38
-43
-26
-55
-42
-60
-80
Apr
2011
-63
Oct
2011
-62
-64
Jan
2012
Mar
2012
June
2012
Base: 1,000-2,000 British adults 16+
© Ipsos MORI
Oct
2012
-58
Dec
2012
Mar
2013
June
2013
Sept
2013
Dec
2013
Source: Halifax/Ipsos MORI
Housing Market Confidence Tracker

8. Buying/selling sentiment combined
Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think it would be a good time or a bad
time for people in general to buy/sell a property?
38%
23%
12%
15%
Good time buy/
good time sell
Good time buy/
bad time sell
Bad time buy/
good time sell
+8
-3
+1
Base: 1,964 GB adults 16+, 29 Nov-5 Dec 2013
© Ipsos MORI
Bad time buy/
bad time sell
-5
Source: Halifax/Ipsos MORI
Housing Market Confidence Tracker

9. Regional dimension: house prices
Q. Do you think the average property price in the UK will be higher or lower in 12
months time or will it be the same?
London
GB
South
England
83%
72%
North
England
Midlands
79%
higher
higher
68%
higher
higher
58%
higher
6%
4%
2%
8%
lower
lower
lower
lower
10%
lower
Base: 1,964 GB adults 16+, 29 Nov-5 Dec 2013, including 266 in London, 409 South England (SE, SW), 500 North England (NW, NE,
Y&H) and 336 in the Midlands.
Source: Ipsos MORI for Halifax
© Ipsos MORI

10. Regional buying sentiment
Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think it would be a good time or a bad
time for people in general to buy a property?
London
GB
63%
good time
57%
South
England
68%
good time
good time
28%
39%
bad time
bad time
23%
bad time
North
England
Midlands
62%
62%
good time
good time
28%
28%
bad time
bad time
Base: 1,964 GB adults 16+, 29 Nov-5 Dec 2013, including 266 in London, 409 South England (SE, SW), 500 North England (NW, NE,
Y&H) and 336 in the Midlands.
Source: Ipsos MORI for Halifax
© Ipsos MORI

11. Regional selling sentiment
Q. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you think it would be a good time or a bad
time for people in general to sell a property?
London
GB
69%
51%
good time
good time
39%
bad time
South
England
25%
bad time
North
England
Midlands
61%
good time
31%
bad time
49%
48%
bad time
good time
41%
40%
good time
bad time
Base: 1,964 GB adults 16+, 29 Nov-5 Dec 2013, including 266 in London, 409 South England (SE, SW), 500 North England (NW, NE,
Y&H) and 336 in the Midlands.
Source: Ipsos MORI for Halifax
© Ipsos MORI

12. PRS rent expectations (PRS renters)
Q. What do you think will happen to the rents tenants are charged by private landlords that is individuals and
companies working in the private sector (i.e. not local councils and housing associations). Taking your
answer from this screen and regardless of whether or not you rent your home, do you think that private
rents will be higher, lower, or will they be the same in 12 months time?
60
% a little higher
52%
40
% the same
20
31%
% a lot higher
11%
% a lot/little lower
4%
0
Apr-11
Oct-11 Jan-12 Mar-12 Jun-12 Oct-12 Dec-12 Mar-13 Jun-13 Sep-13 Dec-13
Base: c300-400 private renters
© Ipsos MORI
Source: Halifax/Ipsos MORI
Housing Market Confidence Tracker

13. Barriers to buying
Q.
Now thinking about the current situation, which 2 or 3 of these, if any, do you
think are the main barriers to people in general being able to buy a property?
Change +
Raise deposit
Job security
Household finances
Rising property prices
Availability of mortgages
Concerns - interest rate rises
Fees and costs of buying a house
Shortage of the right type of property
Shortage of property for sale
Falling property prices
Level of stamp duty / taxation
Don't know
61%
56%
36%
25%
25%
14%
10%
8%
6%
4%
3%
1%
-2
-2
-3
+1
+2
+3
+1
+2
-1
+1
-2
-1
Base: 1,964 GB adults 16+, 29 Nov-5 Dec 2013
Source: Halifax/Ipsos MORI
Housing Market Confidence Tracker
© Ipsos MORI

14. Further information is available here
Paste cobrand logo
here
ben.marshall@ipsos.com | 020 7347 3461
elizabeth.copp@ipsos.com | 020 7347 3165
© Ipsos MORI
© Ipsos MORI
2/1/2014